Drone Meets Cyclist and It Ends Badly

Please don’t crash your drone over a bike race.

Email This Article

From

To

Please separate multiple addresses with commas. We won't share addresses with third parties.

Message

Subscribe me to theAtlas Obscura Newsletter

More and more, drones are becoming ubiquitous parts of the modern landscape, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still surprise us. Unfortunately, that shock can prove catastrophic when you are speeding around on a bicycle.

As shown in a video recently shot by Kaito Clarke, an out of control drone collided with a biker during the Golden State Race in Sacramento, California. At first it didn’t look like the crashing drone had affected the racer, but as they slowed down, a piece got wedged in his front wheel, and the racer was forced over their handlebars.

The drone had apparently hit a tree before careening into the racer’s wheel, getting destroyed in the process. Luckily, the racer fared much better, only getting some scrapes and a broken wheel.

According to users on Reddit, the owner of the drone reached out to the person they hit, and offered to pay for a new helmet and wheel, but it’s unclear if any money actually changed hands.

Stay in Touch!

No purchase necessary. Winner will be selected at random on 03/01/2018. Offer available only in the U.S. (including Puerto Rico). Offer subject to change without notice. See contest rules for full details.

Add Some Wonder to Your Inbox

Every weekday we compile our most wondrous stories and deliver them straight to you.